Tag: Justin Eboigbe

Projecting the Chargers’ interior defensive line depth chart in 2024

Taking a crack at projecting what the Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle room will look like entering the 2024 season.

Over the next few weeks ahead of training camp, I will continue to break down the depth chart for each Chargers position.

Quarterback

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Offensive line

Edge rusher

Next, I project what the interior defensive line room will look like heading into the 2024 season.

Morgan Fox

Fox joined the Chargers ahead of the 2022 season, where he had a career year. He recorded 40 pressures, 6.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits. For his efforts, Fox was re-signed last offseason. He continued to be an impactful interior pass rusher, finishing with 37 pressures and five sacks. Fox is in the final year of his contract.

Poona Ford

The Chargers lacked veterans in the positional room aside from Fox, so they went out and signed Ford on a cheap deal. Like Fox, Ford will be able to come on as a pass rusher from the middle of the defensive line. He can play on early downs. While he hasn’t been as a good defending the run the past couple of seasons, he has shown the ability to put on strong in this department in his early playing days with the Seahawks.

Justin Eboigbe

After signing Ford, the Chargers still needed more reinforcements up front so they selected Eboigbe in the fourth round of this year’s draft. Eboige is an interior defender who is tough and well-built with the strength to anchor at the point of attack and eat up double teams. While his strong suit is in run defense, he showed the explosiveness and technicality to get after the quarterback last season.

Otito Ogbonnia

After being selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft, Ogbonnia made a name for himself in his rookie season. While he may not have stood out on the stat sheet, with 14 tackles and a tackle for loss in seven games, Ogbonnia was a reliable run defender by penetrating the backfield to cause havoc and occupying double teams. Unfortunately, a ruptured left patellar tendon during Week 7 cut his season short. Ogbonnia worked his way back and appeared in eight games last season, totaling 21 tackles and two QB hits.

Christopher Hinton

I expect the Chargers to roster five interior defenders, which means this will be a battle between a handful of players, including Hinton, Scott Matlock and Jerrod Clark. Hinton, the former five-star recruit, gets the nod because of his familiarity with Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Hinton has shown flashes of being a nice rotational piece.

92 days until Alabama football kicks off the 2024 season

In 92 days the Kalen DeBoer era of Alabama football will officially get underway!

In 92 days, Kalen DeBoer will usher in a new era of Alabama Crimson Tide football, replacing the legendary [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] as head coach in Tuscaloosa.

Coach DeBoer and the Crimson Tide will take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Aug. 31 to kick off the 2024 college football season inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Here at Roll Tide Wire, we will be counting down the days until Alabama football takes the field.

Freshman defensive lineman [autotag]Jeremiah Beaman[/autotag] currently wears No. 92 for the Crimson Tide but today we look back at the previous player who wore No. 92, [autotag]Justin Eboigbe[/autotag].

Eboigbe played for the Tide from 2019-23 where he accumulated 123 total tackles, 16 for loss, and nine sacks. Eboigbe had a monster season in 2023 for Alabama racking up 11.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks on his way to becoming a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Chargers.

Justin Eboigbe’s Photo Gallery

Chargers lock up six rookies to contracts, three remain unsigned

The Chargers officially signed six members of their 2024 NFL draft class to four-year contracts.

The Chargers officially signed six members of their 2024 NFL draft class to four-year contracts.

Linebacker Junior Colson, cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart, running back Kimani Vidal and wide receivers Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson inked their rookie deals.

The players who remain unsigned are offensive tackle Joe Alt, wide receiver Ladd McConkey and defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe.

Coaches saw their draftees at work this past week, as Los Angeles held its rookie minicamp at Hoag Performance Center in Costa Mesa, CA.

Highlights from Day 1 of Chargers rookie minicamp

Check out all the action from the first day of Chargers rookie minicamp.

Friday marked the first day of Chargers rookie minicamp.

The event will run through the next two days and conclude on May 12.

This feature will include a collection of tweets from the session.

Read on to see a collection of the highlights and top tweets from the Bolts reporters in attendance.

 

Chargers announce dates for 2024 rookie minicamp

All of the players the Chargers drafted and signed as undrafted free agents will take the practice field real soon.

All of the players the Chargers drafted and signed as undrafted free agents will take the practice field real soon, as they are set to hold their rookie minicamp from May 10-12.

This means that the towering 6-foot-9 Joe Alt will make his presence known along with the new wide receiver trio, which consists of Ladd McConkey, Brenden Rice, Cornelius Johnson, and potential starting linebacker Junior Colson.

This will also be the first opportunity for the undrafted free agents fighting for a roster spot to catch the attention of the coaching staff.

Chargers rookies get their jersey numbers

Here’s a look at the jersey numbers of the newest Chargers additions.

The Chargers announced the jersey numbers for their 2024 rookie class on Tuesday.

Here’s a look at the first-year players and the numbers they will be sporting:

  • OT Joe Alt – 76
  • WR Ladd McConkey – 15
  • LB Junior Colson – 25
  • DT Justin Eboigbe – 98
  • CB Tarheeb Still – 29
  • CB Cam Hart – 20
  • RB Kimani Vidal – 30
  • WR Brenden Rice – 82
  • WR Cornelius Johnson – 86

Joe Hortiz reflects on first draft as Chargers general manager: ‘I really believe we made our team better’

Joe Hortiz completed his first draft as Chargers general manager and it’s safe to say it was a major success.

Joe Hortiz completed his first draft as the Chargers general manager and it’s safe to say it was a major success. 

Los Angeles stuck with their No. 5 first overall pick and snagged the best offensive tackle in Notre Dame’s Joe Alt. Additionally, the team added two players, Ladd McConkey and Junior Colson, on Day 2. On Day 3, six more players were selected, adding depth for now and the roster’s future. 

“The opportunity to take the players we took, each time we were just excited to take every one of them,” Hortiz added. “I really believe we made our team better.”

According to Hortiz, the third day of the draft was arguably the most crucial, adding that championship teams are expected to elevate their rosters in rounds four through seven. 

“That’s where the scouts and coaches really do their work,” Hortiz said. “Everyone has their mock drafts on the first and second and third rounds. And honestly, you could pick 36 or 37 players on Day 1 and you’ll get 32 of them right.

“But Day 3 is when the information is not as readily available and that’s where you trust your scouts,” Hortiz added. “Our scouts did a great job knowing the players and identifying the ones that can help us.”

The draft class included nine players at six different position groups. 

“These players fit the Chargers profile, and we really believe all nine of these guys do,” Hortiz said. “You want high-character players, you want highly competitive players, passionate players, intelligent, durable, tough. Guys that care about each other. And I can really say that about every one of them.

“We had the blue star that we brought with us here … we drafted three of them, “Hortiz continued. “We don’t got a bunch of them, each scout gets one. They put it on a guy and we were able to take three of them.

“Frankly, all nine of these players can be blue star-type players, but we’re limited in the number we can give out so you pick one, put it on,” Hortiz added. “That’s a real positive thing for us.”

Following the draft, the Chargers’ roster is in much better standing. They addressed the positions of need that we highlighted ahead of the event with players who mostly ranked higher or aligned with the consensus big board.

2024 NFL draft: Watch highlights of new Chargers DT Justin Eboigbe

To get familiar with the newest member of the Chargers, here are some highlights of Justin Eboigbe.

The Chargers addressed the interior part of the defensive line with the selection of Justin Eboigbe.

Los Angeles signed Poona Ford in free agency, but the positional room still needed additional depth. And they fulfilled that by picking up one of the best run-defending defensive tackles.

To get familiar with the newest member of the Bolts, here are some highlights of Eboigbe.

Former Alabama DL Justin Eboigbe selected by Los Angeles Chargers in fourth round of 2024 NFL draft

With the No. 105 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Chargers selected former Alabama defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe will be headed out West as he was drafted with the No. 105 overall pick by the Los Angeles Chargers.

Eboigbe battled adversity over the course of his college career. As a senior, Eboigbe suffered a season-ending neck injury. As a redshirt-senior, Eboigbe returned from injury and contributed in a big way to Alabama’s success along the interior of the defensive line.

In 2023, Eboigbe recorded a career-high 63 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. He was a force for the Crimson Tide last season. As a result of his play on the field, Eboigbe was named to the All-SEC First-Team by coaches from within the conference.

Eboigbe will join former Alabama punter J.K. Scott in Los Angeles. It will be interesting to see what type of role Eboigbe carves out for himself with the Chargers.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Eboigbe as he begins his professional career in the 2024 NFL season.

Instant analysis of Chargers selecting DL Justin Eboigbe

Analyzing the Chargers’ selection of Alabama defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe with the 105th overall selection.

Justin Eboigbe had an incredible game against Michigan in the College Football Playoff.

It turns out Jim Harbaugh took notice.

The Chargers made Eboigbe their fourth-round selection on Saturday, drafting him with the 105th overall pick. A 6-foot-4 and 297-pounder, Eboigbe played the Jonathan Allen role in Alabama’s defense in 2023, spending the bulk of his snaps at either 5 technique or 3 technique.

Eboigbe does come with some injury concerns: he missed nine games in 2022 with a herniated disk that pushed against his spinal cord and required career-threatening surgery. The same surgeon who did Justyn Ross’ neck operation did Eboigbe’s, kicking off a seven-month recovery process.

Los Angeles must be comfortable with that risk, because if Eboigbe stays healthy, he projects as the Chargers’ starter at 3 technique next to Poona Ford at nose and Morgan Fox at 5 technique. He’s a versatile lineman who defends the run (63 tackles in 2023) and pass (30 pressures) equally well.